Take Better Travel Photos Issue 1

<ul><li><p>TAKEBETTERTRAVELPHOTOS</p><p>THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TRAVEL &amp; HOLIDAY PHOTOGRAPHY</p><p>Summer 2011 | Issue 1 | 4.50</p><p>JUNIORSNAPPERS</p><p>Photo ideas for kids</p><p> Shoot perfectblue seas Take dramaticwilldlife pictures Make yourown photobook</p><p>HOW TO</p><p>THE 10 BESTCOMPACTS &amp;DSLRS REVIEWED</p><p>25 easyways to getgreat shots</p><p>own photobook</p><p>HANDYGUIDES:</p><p>Portraits Sunsets Night Festivals </p><p>Black &amp; white</p><p>5 </p><p>Winan amazing trip to Indiaworth2,500!</p></li><li><p>4 | TAKE BETTER TRAVEL PHOTOS Summer 2011</p><p>GET INSPIRED</p><p>10 Travel photos of the decadeIncredible pictures from ten years of the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year competition every one of them by amateurs, like you!</p><p>22 Win a trip to ColombiaEnter your best pictures into the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year competition 2011 and win a trip tocolourful Colombia! </p><p>CONTENTS24 Marrakech: A day in the lightExpert travel photographer Paul Harris looks at how to take advantage of the changing light to capture the best possible images, from sunrise to sunset.</p><p>30 Photo Icon:The Taj MahalIconic buildings like the Taj Mahal are so familiar it can be tricky to take an original picture. Steve Davey shows how to make your photos better than the postcards.</p><p>40 Take better travel photos(no new kit required!)From planning your shots to getting to know your camera, we off er 25 tips on how to improve your photographic skills and start taking more striking shots. The best bit? They wont cost you a penny.</p><p>56 Whipper snappersTwo 10-year-old photography enthusiasts share their favourite shots and off er advice for other young wannabe snappers on how to take great photos.</p><p>Could you do better than this? Check out the best amateur shots from 10 years of the Wanderlust Travel Photo Of The Year Competition and then enter this years contest</p><p>10</p><p>24</p><p>Win anamazing tripto India worth </p><p>2,500!P38</p><p>CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSMarrakech: A day in the lightExpert travel photographer Paul </p><p>Harris looks at how to take advantage of the changing light to capture the best possible images, from sunrise to sunset.</p><p>Photo Icon:The Taj Mahal</p><p>Iconic buildings like the Taj Mahal are so familiar it can be tricky to take an original picture. Steve Davey shows how to make your photos better than the postcards.</p><p>Take better travel photos(no new kit required!)Take better travel photos(no new kit required!)Take better travel photos</p><p>From planning your shots to getting to know your camera, we off er 25 tips on how to improve your photographic skills and start taking more striking shots. The best bit? They wont cost you a penny.</p><p>Whipper snappersTwo 10-year-old </p><p>photography enthusiasts share their favourite shots and off er advice for other young wannabe snappers on how to take great photos.</p><p>CONTENTSCONTENTS</p><p>know your camera, we off er 25 tips on how </p><p>photography enthusiasts share their </p><p>Cover storyCheck out our easy25 ways to take better travel photos whether you have a top-of-the-range camera or something a little more, ahem, antiquated</p><p>40</p></li><li><p>TAKE BETTER TRAVEL PHOTOS Summer 2011 | 5</p><p> TIPS &amp; SKILLS</p><p>64 Masai Mara photo safariCamera klutz Chris Haslam tries sharpening up his wildlife photography skills on safari in wild Africa.</p><p>72 Specialist photo safarisAdvice on choosing the right kit and fi nding the right photographic safari and guide.</p><p>74 Five minute guide:Shooting waterHeading for the seaside? We explain howto capture turquoise seas and misty waterfalls on camera.</p><p>80 Ten rules for the roadFrom backing up your fi les to keeping your kit clean, we off er ten tips for happy photo hunting.</p><p>84 Get creative withyour compactFor those with less snazzy cameras, you can still achieve some great shots if you know a few tricks of the trade.</p><p>88 Five minute guide:Awesome landscapesTaking an evocative landscape photo isnt as simple as it might seem. Pro photographer David Ward shares his expertise.</p><p>94 Do try this at homeIts homework time and your assignments include snapping squirrelsand saying hello to strangers.</p><p>98 Compacts vs DSLRs:which one is right for you?With a bewildering array of cameras to choose from, we off er three steps to buying the right camera for you plus advice on where to buy it.</p><p>101 Top ten DSLRsWant to shoot like the pros without spending a fortune? Check out our roundup of the best digital single lens refl ex (DSLR) cameras to suit travellers needs.</p><p>104 Top ten compactsTen compact cameras for photo enthusiasts who dont want a DSLR cramping their snap-happy style.</p><p>108 Photographerskit bagFilters, spirit levels, tripods,cleaners...Theres so much camera kit to choose from, but which pieces really are must-haves? </p><p>110 Making movies:holiday video camerasWhether youre using a handheld camcorder or the video recorder on your mobile phone, we off er advice on fi nding the best device to fi lm your trip.</p><p>KIT &amp; CAMERAS</p><p>116 Processing: how to turn your photos up to 11Why shooting in RAW format makes it easy to turn photos from near-misses to masterpieces. Plus, basic digital processing skills and the software to look out for.</p><p>122 Create your ownphotobookWe pick some of the best photobook providers to help you design an album full of all your favourite travel pics.</p><p>126 Ten best gallery appsDownloadable applications to help you enhance, distort and generally play around with your photos.</p><p>128 GlossaryWhat the hecks a DSLR, anyway? And whats this white balance business? A helpful glossary of camera terms for photography newbies. </p><p>FINAL TOUCHES</p><p>choose from, we off er three steps to buying the right camera for you plus advice on </p><p>7474Cover storyCapture watersports action and get those deep blue seas really blue with our step-by-step guideto Shooting water(ticket to Bora Bora sadly not included).</p><p>122</p><p>101</p><p>104</p><p>131 FIVE HANDY GUIDESIn a hurry? Flip to our series of quick reference guides to brush up on Portraits, Sunsets, Festivals, Black &amp; White and After Dark snappery.</p><p>MINI MASTERCLASSES</p></li><li><p>Camera at the readyLazing on the Greek Island of Santorini? No matter where you are, always have your camera to hand </p></li><li><p>2 THINK BEFORE YOU SHOOTLook in and around the scene, and think about how you are going to make the most of its potential. Is the foreground interesting enough? Are the colours too distracting? If light, weather, time and mood are simply not helping, come back another day. PH</p><p>1 TAKE A CAMERA EVERYWHEREAs the adage has it, the best camera is the one you have with you. The fanciest DSLR in the world is no good back in your hotel room.</p><p>better travel photosbetter travel photosYoure packed and ready to go but what will you come back with? Our panel of experts explains how to make this years holiday photos your best ever,using only what youve already got: a camera and your imagination</p><p>better travel photos</p><p>WAYS TO TAKE</p><p>better travel photosbetter travel photos25</p><p>25 TOP TIPSGET INSPIRED</p></li><li><p>4 USE BACK-LIGHTING FOR DRAMA Conventional wisdom says you should take photographs with the sun behind you, which tends to give warmer tones. But sometimes you can achieve dramatic results by placing yourself so your subject is back-lit (shooting with the sun facing you). This is especially true if youre shooting in the early morning or late evening, when the sun often produces a warm rim-lighting around the edge of your subject. SE</p><p>Suzi Eszterhas (SE) is an award-winning professional wildlife photographer, based in California and the UK. As well as shooting assignments for newspapers and magazines </p><p>worldwide, she leads inspirational wildlife photography tours: trips with availability for 2011-2012 include Borneo, Costa Rica, India and Madagascar. www.suzieszterhas.com</p><p>Paul Harris (PH) has a distinguished 25-year career documenting people and landscapes around the world, with a particular focus on environmental issues and </p><p>adventure travel. Based in North Yorkshire, he is a and a judge on the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year competition, and leads trips for Wanderlust Journeys (www.wanderlust-journeys.co.uk).www.paulharrisphotography.com</p><p>London-based Peter Mallet (PM) is an in-demand editorial photographer, shooting travel assignments for Wanderlust, Sunday Times Travel, Geographical and other top </p><p>magazines. See www.petermallet.com</p><p>Additional tips by Steve Davey &amp; Dan Linstead.Additional images: Getty, Alamy, Eric Baldauf, Steve Davey</p><p>Suzi Eszterhasaward-winning professional wildlife photographer, based in California and the UK. As well as shooting assignments for newspapers and magazines </p><p>Paul Harrisdistinguished 25-year career documenting people and landscapes around the world, with a particular focus on environmental issues and </p><p>adventure travel. Based in North Yorkshire, he is a </p><p>London-based (photographer, shooting travel assignments for Sunday Times TravelGeographical</p><p>magazines. See www.petermallet.com</p><p>THE EXPERTS</p><p>42 | TAKE BETTER TRAVEL PHOTOS Summer 2011</p><p>3GET TO KNOW YOUR CAMERAOK, so nobody loves reading the manual but the more you know about your cameras capabilities, the more creative you can be. Even the humblest compact camera has a myriad options, so start experimenting. Take the same scene diff erent ways and compare them. Try it once with fl ash, and once without; once close-up and once out wide; try diff erent shutter speeds and white balance settings. For a handy demo of how to use basic SLR settings, have a play with the virtual camera at www.camerasim.com.</p></li><li><p>5DONT MISS THE GOLDEN HOURS AFTER SUNRISE AND BEFORE SUNSET You can take good photographs at any time of day (see A Day in the Light, p24), but at dawn and dusk the light is best for revealing the full texture of a landscape, as in this shot of Lake Powell, Utah. This light can be very short lived, especially in the tropics, so you need to be ready at your location in good time. PH</p><p>6 INTRODUCEMOVEMENT One of the easiest ways to animate a scene is to allow a bit of motion blur birds in the sky, passing bicycles, the bustle of pedestrians in a city centre. Selecting a Shutter priority (S or Tv) or Manual mode (M) is the easiest way to achieve this. Brace yourself against a wall to avoid camera shake, and shoot at 1/15 sec or slower to get a sense of motion. For longer exposures, youll need to rest your camera on a surface, or use a tripod.</p><p>25 TOP TIPSGET INSPIRED</p></li><li><p>56 | TAKE BETTER TRAVEL PHOTOS Summer 201156 | TAKE BETTER TRAVEL PHOTOS Summer 2011</p><p>SNAPPERS</p><p>Kids arent just g</p><p>reat </p><p>subjects for tra</p><p>vel </p><p>photography </p><p> they can </p><p>make great pho</p><p>tographers </p><p>too. We asked t</p><p>wo well-</p><p>travelled ten-ye</p><p>ar-olds </p><p>to talk us throug</p><p>h their </p><p>enviable album</p><p>s</p><p>Whipper</p></li><li><p>TAKE BETTER TRAVEL PHOTOS Summer 2011 | 57TAKE BETTER TRAVEL PHOTOS Summer 2011 | 57</p><p>P repare for an attack of envy: twins Joe and Ellie Gray have packed more adventures into their fi rst decade than many of us manage in a lifetime. Trekking in Morocco? Done it. Kayaking in New Zealand? Check. Disneyland? Of course on three diff erent continents.Almost from birth, Joe and Ellie have followed their dad, </p><p>William, an award-winning travel writer and photographer, and mum, Sally, a book editor, on journeys all over the globe. And once theyd got past those tricky toddler years (when, William recalls, the kids threw up in six diff erent car seats), they started photographing those trips too. Here are their favourite shots, and their tips for other aspiring young snappers.</p><p>KIDS PHOTOGRAPHYGET INSPIRED</p></li><li><p>TAKEBETTERTRAVELPHOTOS</p><p>From wondrous wildlife to luscious landscapes, start picking up the skills and techniques for great travel photos</p><p>TIPS&amp; SKILLS</p><p> Photo safaris: Masai Mara How to capture wild Africa p64</p><p> 5 minute guide: shooting waterWaves and refl ections p74</p><p> 10 rules for the roadTaking care of your kit p80</p><p> Get creative with a compactInstant art just point &amp; shoot p84</p><p> 5 minute guide: landscapesTaking scene stealers p88</p><p>SectionTWO</p><p>IN THIS SECTION:</p></li><li><p>Want to really improve your wildlife photography?Chris Haslam did, so he signed up for an intensive </p><p>photographic safari in Kenyas Masai MaraPictures Chris Haslam</p><p>MISSINGIN ACTION</p><p>Going, going, gone... At the start of his safari, Chris was in real need of some photo tips. Could a bit of tuition take him from missing leopard to something more composed?</p><p>PHOTO SAFARI: KENYATIPS &amp; SKILLS</p></li><li><p>80 | TAKE BETTER TRAVEL PHOTOS Summer 2011</p><p>10Pack light, look af</p><p>ter your kit and keep smiling here</p><p>s our 10-point </p><p>plan to follow if youre serious abou</p><p>t taking better photos</p><p>2KEEP ITCLEAN Always keep your gear clean: dirt or dust on your sensor will show up as ugly black marks on your pictures. Smudges on your lens will aff ect quality and can cause fl are. Clean your gear every night. Some cameras have a sensor that vibrates, but this may need extra cleaning. </p><p>A manual blower (try Visible Dusts Hurricane Blower: 7.95, www.visibledust.com) will jet dust from the sensor (never use compressed air). You might also need a sensor brush (approx 60) if you are doing a lot of travel to dusty areas. Blow grit and dust from lenses and fi lters, then use a washable micropore cloth to clean them.</p><p>1TAKE SPARE EQUIPMENT If youre on the trip of a lifetime, dont let the theft or mechanical failure of your camera and lenses mean you cant take pictures.If photography is important to you, make sure you have a spare camera even if it isjust a simple compact. If the worst happens and your camera is stolen or broken, then you can still shoot.</p><p>Dont overlook lenses, either. Many people travel with an 18-200mm super-zoom, which has such a wide range it rarely needs to be changed. But pack the kit lens that came with your camera too, in case your fi rst choice lens goes wrong or gets damaged while youre on the road. </p><p>00Pack light, look af</p><p>ter your kit and keep smiling here</p><p>s our 10-point </p><p>RULES FOR THE ROAD</p><p>Take care of your kit clean lenses (gently) with dust blowers. And always pack spare equipment in case something gets damaged or stolen</p></li><li><p>TAKE BETTER TRAVEL PHOTOS Summer 2011 | 81</p><p>STRAP HERE</p><p>3BACK UP YOUR PICTURESDigital images are essentially ephemeral. They can disappear in an instant due to theft, mechanical breakdown or corruption. However, they are easily duplicated, so there is no excuse for losing images. </p><p>Memory cards are cheaper than ever. Take enough so you dont have to reuse them. Copy pictures to a laptop and back this up to a hard disk such as LaCie Rugged Hard Disk (from 95 online). Also, copy cards to a standalone storage device (browse at www.hypershop.com). Only then reuse a memory card. You can also back-up to DVDs in internet cafs. Store one back-up in your hotel; carry the other.</p><p>4BE AWARE OF WHERE YOU AREMost travel books recommend that you dont carry valuables on you but as a photographer, you dont really have a choice. However, you should take basic precautions against robbery. Try to be aware of your surroundings and take local advice about dangerous areas. Carry your camera securely, and look out for bag-snatchers on motorbikes. Never leave your camera or camera bag on a caf table or where anyone can grab it and run away. Learn to work quickly: if you stand fi ddling with your camera for ages, youll attrac...</p></li></ul>